Painting Portraits from Life
Painting portraits from life has become one of my favourite ways to stay sharp and keep learning. On Sundays, I join a small invited group of painters at the United Arts Club in Dublin for portrait practice — a relaxed but focused environment where we work from a live sitter and paint alla prima within a set time limit.
There’s something energising about painting a portrait in a single sitting. With the clock running, you have to simplify, trust your eye, and commit to each brushstroke. The time pressure forces clarity — and it’s a wonderful way to develop a stronger sense of light, colour, and likeness.
These sessions always teach me something new about portraiture. They’ve deepened my understanding of portraiture and continue to influence how I approach commissioned portraits in the studio.
Portrait Studies from Life at the United Arts Club
If you’d like to learn more about commissioning a portrait, you can read more about the process here.